Imperial Ascension
by WarmasterSamiel
Summary: YAHF Alexander Harris has strong will and cares deeply for his friends. However, that does not mean that he will prevail every battle, mental or physical.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is the first story I have ever published. I would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism.  
>This is a simple one-shot, but with enough feedback it might become something more.<p>

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Buffy the vampire slayer.

Edited: 2012-02-02

**Imperial Ascension**

Xander sighed as he saw the last toy rifle get taken by a gleeful kid. He was about to call it a loss and see if he could make something else at home, when the owner of the store came up behind him.

"Can I help you?"

"Ah! Don't sneak up like that!"

"Terribly sorry", Ethan said, though he didn't look like it at all. "I couldn't help but notice your disappointment, is there anything I could help you with?" he asked again.

"Well I was planning on going as a soldier, but it seems you're out of rifles."

"Indeed it does. Let's see then, how much are you willing to spend on a costume?"

"Ahh… well I'm kind of broke, so only a few dollars."

"I see. I have a few items without a costume that may interest you, if you'll please follow me."

They walked into the back of the store and looked into a large cardboard box, filled with miscellaneous items. Ethan took out a dark robe and a lightsaber.

"The lightsaber is broken and the robe doesn't look exactly like a Jedi robe from the Star Wars Trilogy, but it's better than nothing."

"How much would it cost me?" Xander wasn't really sure about it, but his options were quite limited.

"Oh they're yours for only 3$, since one is broke, I can't really expect anything more for them than that." Ethan said with a smile on his lips.

"Alright, I'll take them."

* * *

><p>The wave of magic washed over Sunnydale as people started to transform into various creatures and characters. Xander's body started to collapse only to rise immediately again. One, if not the, strongest Sith Lord in the entire history of Star Wars was alive once more. Former senator and emperor Palpatine drew in a shaky breath and looked around himself bewildered. The last thing he remembered was being thrown down a shaft on the Death Star by his apprentice Darth Vader. He felt strong rage and hatred at the thought of Vader's betrayal.<p>

'That weak cripple dared try to betray me, now all my work is lost and shattered.'

As he continued to curse the events leading to his death, he started to notice his surrounding and the various creatures running around. With a single thought, all creatures avoided him and paid him no notice. He suddenly felt something wrong about himself and his current body.

After hiding himself more thoroughly, he sat down and started to meditate to understand why his body felt younger and stronger than ever before. Almost immediately he felt another presence within him, that soon started to complain and tried to throw him out.

"Get away! This is my body!"

"I'm afraid that I have a greater need for a new, operational body." He said with a sickening voice.

"It won't work! Buffy and Giles will simply banish you, you should just give up."

"Foolish boy, I'm the strongest Sith Lord in history, the Dark side is strong in me. The Force is more powerful than your feeble mind can comprehend. Neither you or anyone else can stop me."

"They will now you're evil the second they see you, they will now how to defeat you. Besides, a half-dead cripple could kill."

Palpatine laughed at that. "I'm afraid you are mistaken about a great many things. If I don't want to be discovered, I simply won't be. In this new world, no one knows who I am. You and your friends might have some tricks, but you are nothing to me."

With that, Darth Sidious crushed the mind and soul of Xander and took full control of the body. He encountered a minor animal presence in the mind that was easily vanquished.

The Dark Lord of the Sith then continued to meditate for hours, as his spirit took full control of every single part, of the body. The body needed to be strengthened quite a bit before he could use his stronger abilities in the Force.

Even after the spell was broken, he kept at it. Though no one knew, at that moment the future of the planet was sealed, and the first steps toward a new, powerful empire were taken.

* * *

><p>A few weeks later, the new Mayor Mr. Finch was meeting a dark robed man in his office.<p>

"I once offered my help to your predecessor; unfortunately we never managed to settle on a mutual, satisfying agreement, before the unfortunate accident. But I'm certain that such a capable man as yourself will know what is best for all. Is that not right, Mayor Finch?" The unknown man asked with an innocent voice.

"Of course! I'm quite certain that your advices and help will be much helpful." Finch answered nervously.

"Good, good. I'll need access to all the information the late Mr. Wilkins had, plus all his literature of the more… supernatural variety. It wouldn't do if some abomination would pop up and cause disruptions to our work."

"Yes, of course Mr. Harris, I'll get right to it."

"Oh, and about the demons he employed, wipe them out... all of them."

The new Mayor nodded quickly and all but ran from the room.

The Sith smiled, while his yellow eyes glowed in the shadow of his cowl. His research into the supernatural forces, or 'magic' as the locals called it, had shown him that immortality was possible. It seemed that the Force acted different in this reality, but that was only to his advantage since he had decades of experience manipulating the Force. His first priorities would be to establish a powerbase and start his research into prolonging his life.

It seemed that the world was splintered and full of potential conflicts. With his powers and charisma, it would be child play to reach a powerful position, and from there it would be possible to unite the world under his enlightened leadership. From there he would spearhead the expansion into space and found a new galactic empire to rule for all eternity.

**End**


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Well after some feedback and thoughts, I'va decided to try to continue writing this story. If you have any ideas or thoughts, please leave a review or PM me, I'll gladly answer any constructive questions.

* * *

><p>At midnight in the Park, a lone figure was dancing to tunes only she could hear, and clutched in her arms was a simple doll. As she danced without any care, a dark robed man stepped into the moonlight and started to approach her.<p>

"Greetings Lady Seer." The man said warmly and with a tiny bit amusement.

"Hello, Lord of the Dark" The woman said fleetingly and continued to dance. "Miss Edith told me I should go here. The Trickster Lord would give me a present. I love present."

"Ironic. No force-users on this entire world, yet in front of me is a seer, and her powers are equal or even superior to mine. Would you like to join me, to be at my side when I conquer this primitive world?"

The vampire stopped her dancing and regarded the man with a gleeful smile. She held up her doll, as if to listened to it, and nodded. Then see curtsied and said with a reverend voice.

"Of course my Lord. You are the worthy one, the trickster of trillions. And the stars will sing and pray and bow to the eternal emperor."

"Your powers are strong indeed. But to survive the later stages, I must strengthen your existence and your bond to me."

With that, he gathered a massive amount of the Force and sent it into the mad vampire, who started to laugh and moan at the sensations. The Force filled her body and the demon within felt the staggering power and submitted to the superior being. With the bonds of servitude in place a bond between the minds were established. Usually, the bond would be equal for both, but with the clear position of dominance the vampire submitted completely to her new master.

"What will you do with daddy?" the vampire asked after getting herself together again.

"I will allow Angelus to play around for a bit. The Force has shown me that the second Slayer must die to increase my chances of success and getting myself a new 'Hand'."

"Ohh, please Master! May I have the nasty Slayer? Miss Edith says she will be tasty and good for me." She asked with a pout and glistening eyes.

"Naturally Lady Drusilla. However, if I do that, you will have to kill a certain man for me. It is essential that he dies. His name is George Lucas. Can you do that for me?"

Drusilla clapped her hands in glee and nodded. With that he bid her good night and left.

As Alexander walked back to his house he continued to plot and scheme. With the seer on his side, he could concentrate his powers on persuading important people and increasing his powerbase. Soon his puppets would found new company and manipulate the markets, so that when the financial troubles starts in the next decade, the effects would be much more severe and lead to further escalation.

* * *

><p>The timeline shifted more and more from the intended path. The famous creator of Star Wars, George Lucas died in a tragic house fire, which coincided with the disappearance of Drusilla from the Hellmouth. During the rest of the summer, Alexander continued to destabilize the various economies across the world, not much at first but more and more as time passed. Thanks to his powers of persuasion, an underground base was constructed by a wealthy billionaire, who then promptly forgot all about it and focused more on other things. The base included light industrial capacity, but most importantly modern laboratories for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. This would be the place where the technology from Palpatine's own reality was recreated.<p>

* * *

><p>A few weeks after Faith's arrival, two persons sit on a bed in a low-quality hotel room. The girl is crying and is desperately clinging to the young man, who slowly caresses her back.<p>

"It's alright Faith, I'm her for you."

The girl continues to cry and hiccups, before answering.

"They just don't care! I was almost killed by those demons and if it weren't for you, X I'd died."

"I'm sure it's not that bad Faith. You are a wonderful and strong girl; they would be fools to disregard you."

"They hate me! B and Red don't care if I die; I'm just a slut to them, no big loss."

"Faith, the thought of losing you is unbearable. It's with great reluctance that I say this, but perhaps it would be for the best if you stayed with me from now on, I'll take care of everything."

While he sounded sincere, he was smiling in satisfaction internally. It had taken weeks, but his subtle Force tricks had finally caused the rest of the 'Scooby-gang' to be openly hostile against Faith. It hadn't been too hard, Buffy Summers' feelings of insecurity, Willow Rosenberg's dislike of inappropriate behavior and Rupert Giles' lingering grief from the murder of his lover Janna Kalderash, they had all made them easier to control. While the Force couldn't affect strong-willed people, they must however be aware of the threat, which none of them where.

"Thank you Xander." Faith whispered as she clung even harder to him.

"Call me Alexander, you will be the only one call me that. I will give you a new purpose; you will become part of something bigger than petty high school girls. Let your hate for them flow through you and strengthen your resolve. Only the strong, like us can survive in this world."

Faith listened to him in awe as he continued to reassure her of her superiority and power. She never had and never would realize how he had played her like a puppet. While he spoke to her, he was also using her distressed condition to influence her mind and putting himself in the center of her existence.

A while later, after he had taken Faith back to his new apartment he spoke to his pet vampire via their bond.

"_Miss Edith says the dark Slayer is the hand of the emperor now, is that so milord?"_

"_Indeed, everything is proceeding as I have foreseen."_

**End of chapter**


	3. Chapter 3

AN: thanks for the reviews. This chapter lays some foundation for the eventual conflicts.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 3

Alexander sighed as he considered his different plans and tasks. There were many ways to start conflicts and instability in the world, but to make it possible for him to grab power for himself; he would be careful in his dealings.

The Middle East was just waiting for something to set off a new war, the rage between the different religions could easily be used to start a 'holy' war. With the biggest oil reserve in the world, the impact would be significant.

In Asia, India and Pakistan was also potential tools, but ones that could easily get out of hand, since both of them are armed with nuclear weapons.

While Africa was already full with conflict and problems, that fact that it lacked a strong industrial base only made it an even smaller threat. South America was stronger and could with some work be destabilized. Argentina would like some revenge for the Falkland Islands; Columbia could become a three-way civil war between the government, FARC and the drug cartels.

Besides looking for conflicts, he would also need support to establish his new dominion. He had already started to teach Faith some Russian for their summer trip to Russia, to meet with the criminal underworld, or in other words the Russian Mafia.

The fact that made them so dangerous and useful was the fact that many of them were ex-KGB. Their training together with their access to military grade weaponry, made them an important asset in the event of an takeover.

The other meeting would be with some dissatisfied, Chinese officials that might be interested in becoming his proxies in the future empire. Of course, they would realize that his goal was world domination until it was far too late. China's economy was rising and with their huge manpower, they would become a Superpower which would derail his plans heavily.

However, China wasn't a democracy, but a dictatorship. When performing a coup d'etat, one must do it quickly and without hesitation, and then immediately start giving orders. The non-participants would obey by old habit.

That was also one of the reasons he had disregarded his 'home country', the USA, which had always been a democracy and would therefore resist his enlightening rule; the biggest reason however, was that the American influence was waning. Oh they might have one of the strongest armies in the world, but their economy was starting to collapse, the Force had helped him confirm that. Technological progress was moving to the asian markets, which were significantly bigger than the American market.

By founding his empire in Europe and Asia, he would have a strong industrial base together with a large amount of resources. And if he needed more resources, Africa was close and available for further expansion. Any potential resistance would be handled without remorse.

He sighed once again and rested his head on the palms of his hands. The strain of constant planning and use of the Force was tiring even to his considerable might.

* * *

><p>On the supernatural front, things were both simpler and harder. He and Drusilla had found hints towards some sort of 'Seed' that controlled all the magic in the dimension. The trick now was to find it and destroy it in such a way that everything magical disappeared, except his pet vampire. Of course, if it was impossible she would, sadly be sacrificed.<p>

He had however found something else that would be incredibly useful, a gem called the 'Gem of Amara', which made vampires immune towards sunlight and staking. With that, Drusilla wouldn't risk dying while on her feeding trips.

* * *

><p>"Good evening my Lord, has your will bent the world today?" The mad vampire asked as she swayed to herself.<p>

"Why yes, and it obeyed just as it should." He answered with a cheery, humorous tone. "I have however found something for you. It will make your service even more useful to me."

"Ooh, thank you my Lord" Drusilla cooed, as she looked at him with adoring eyes.

Alexander chuckled slightly and took out the Gem of Amara. "I believe your, 'Miss Edith' already told you what this is."

Drusilla sat down on her knees in front of him and took his hand into hers. She stared at the ring with childlike eyes, before looking into his eyes and kissed his hand. "Don't worry my Lord, your pet will make good use off it."

Alexander met her eyes with his yellow, and nodded. "Do me proud Lady Drusilla, and you will be able to serve me for an eternity."

* * *

><p>His spies in the American government and military had hinted to some sort of project against the supernatural forces within the country, which made the increased protection even more vital to his plans.<p>

It was also important that they didn't notice the missing resources from the nearby army base. After all, some material couldn't be bought in a supermarket. His research base out in the desert had many projects going, but the most urgent ones were also the most illegal. The construction of micro-nukes and later thermal detonators broke several laws and international treaties.

A nuclear warhead launched from a missile could be seen coming, but a small bomb hidden in a suitcase, placed in a basement in the centre of a city. There would be no warning, no time to react, only death and a mushroom cloud. There was after all a reason why the USA and the Soviet Union agreed to never use that kind of nuke.

Alexander amused himself with the thoughts of the calamity, the use of a single bomb in Washington DC would cause.

He sighed once more and decided to use Force meditation for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>The airplane landed gently and taxed towards it terminal. Sitting in first class was a young couple dressed in professional suits. They rose together and left the plane, the man carrying an attaché bag and the woman a black purse. As they entered the airport a young blonde man came up to them and welcomed them in russian to Moscow and asked if they had had a pleasant flight.<p>

The woman answered positively in faltering russian and asked him to lead the way to their transport. As the blonde man took the lead, the first man turned towards the woman and said in english.

"That was acceptable at this point Faith, but I want you to keep training."

"Yes Master." Faith answered demurely with her head kept down.

As they left Sheremetyevo airport, Alexander mused reflected on the changes his 'Hand' had gone through in the training. From brash and headstrong to demure and submissive, she made a useful tool, but nothing more. Her lack of drive to become more powerful and her lack of strong hate made her unsuited to become an apprentice, had she even been a Force sensitive.

At the present, her powers made her useful as his enforcer and bodyguard for his human allies. Her lack of education sadly made it impossible to ascend her to higher positions in his future empire.

When the vehicle arrived at their destination, they stepped out and looked around. The dacha in front of them was large and of high quality, it's red paint looked new and charming.

They went inside and sat down at a table, where a couple of men in uniform and suits already sat.

"Greetings comrades." Alexander told them in fluent russian. His tone was warm, his face pleasant and his eyes radiated trust and honesty. "I believe we have some issues to discuss that could be mutually beneficent"

The spokesperson for the gathered men answered suspiciously "Yes… you said you would offer us power and riches. Pretty words, but why should we listen to you, we already control this country and its resources, we have no need for some foolish foreigner wanting a part of it."

"True, but that is not all. You wouldn't invite me all the way just to tell me no." He remarked, still looking charming. "You didn't become this powerful by being idiots; you know that Yeltsin might not survive that much longer."

"Da, that is correct, Yeltsin's health is falling."

"True and I know that his successor, the ones you are supporting, will take control from you and bend you to his will."

"How can you know that?" The man looked surprised and even more suspicious.

"It has been foreseen. You are aware of the unnatural things that exist in the world; I believe there were a few military groups dedicated towards their eradication in the old Union?"

"Perhaps, but how did you find a seer powerful enough to know that?"

"You might not have heard of her, but I have in my employ a vampire called Drusilla, but that is irrelevant. What I want to know is if you are willing to obey my orders as I make this country stronger than ever before."

"Why us? Wouldn't you rather use your capitalistic home country?"

"There are many reasons, most of them being that there is so little control of the people. They will loudly oppose any change that isn't immediately rewarding towards them, and in some cases they will protest even then."

The various russian mob bosses, oligarchs and generals laughed at that. Although they couldn't know it, since Alexander had stepped into the house their minds were slowly being reshaped to unquestionable loyalty towards him. It was a new technique he had developed in this new reality, inspired by the magic tomes of the former mayor of Sunnydale. Without it, it would have been next to impossible to make them help him, and even harder to make sure they wouldn't double-cross him.

With the Force as his tool, nothing became impossible.

* * *

><p>After graduating, Alexander had prepared his various puppets in Sunnydale before his world-tour. When he came back he said goodbye again to his old 'friends' as he left for his university.<p>

Through bribes, contacts and blatant use of the Force, he had been admitted to Harvard Business School. An education from there would help refine his skills, but more importantly, it would open many doors for him and expand his network of contacts.

The new mayor had helped him change his grades by altering his older and threatening the principle into making them stay high. The fees necessary to study and live in Boston, had been acquired though his budding market manipulating and some 'lucky' gambling.

It had taken over a year and a half to influence his vessels older friends, until they subconsciously accepted all his actions as natural. While strong-willed people might resist a brute, front attack like the Jedi used to solve easier conflicts, the Sith used to subtle, hidden attacks that wasn't seen. The teachings were right, 'what is done in secret has great power'.

The nature of the Sith Order and the reason they had survived Jedi persecution for a millennia, was there hidden actions and use of the Force. Darth Sidious had stood in front of the Jedi grandmaster and asked about the suspected sith killed by Obi-wan Kenobi, he had gotten their support to convince the Galactic Senate to give him emergency powers, almost making him an emperor in all but name.

He hadn't known it at the time of his rebirth, but it was because of the nature of his powers that he wasn't discovered by the higher beings. The Powers That Be would have gotten rid of him immediately had they known what had been emerged that dark Halloween night. Later when he had found references of them in his research, he continued to block his presence from them; however that forced him to be careful in using his powers to much. When he bound Drusilla, he took an calculated risk. The changes he had caused together with his large use of power had at last alerted the PTB.

The rage they felt towards him was great, but so was the fear. They could barely foresee the future at all, but what they saw feared them. A great empire lead by an immortal emperor with unimaginable powers, spreading across the stars. Any resistance was crushed, any rebellion exterminated, worlds rule by the creed: 'Peace, Law, Order!'

They decided unanimously that he had to be killed. They started to plan; they would have to subtly lead a former Hell Goddess towards Sunnydale, a being with incredible powers. After discussing it further they agreed that that would be enough to kill the problem.

Sadly for them, and all supernatural beings in the entire dimension, they had grossly underestimated the power of the dark side of the Force.

End chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I have started to try to make the chapters longer. This will be the next to last chapter of this arc. The next chapter will finish of the supernatural side of the story. All the feedback I have received is much appreciated. If you have any question, dont hesitate to PM me.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Chapter 4

The meeting took place within a well-lit room. It had white walls and a few nondescript paintings decorating them. There was a table in the centre of the room, surrounded by four chairs, with four men sitting in them.

The room, and the building it was situated in, blended in quite well in the neighborhood. But appearances can often be deceiving, the building and especially the room was heavily warded. Unless one was physically present, it would be impossible to hear what was being discussed between the men.

"That concludes the situation in Italy. Now, the issue with the Slayer, any thoughts?" Man number one asked, sounding both amused and annoyed.

"We either convince her to return or take her out; she is easily replaced after all." Man number two stated flatly.

"The idea has merit, but an assassination might aggravate the relationship with Slayer Summers, driving her even further from us." The third man answered.

"The reports on Slayer Lehane's connection to Alexander Lavelle Harris are quite worrying." The first man stated. "Her devotion to him makes convincing her even more unlikely. But on the other hand, we can't under any circumstances allow the control of the Slayer to slip from our grip."

"Then an assassination, no matter how big the consequences might be our only choice to correct this issue." The second speaker stated.

"Before we make a decision, what are your thoughts on this?" The first speaker directed the question towards the last man in the room, who until then had been silent.

The man lit a cigar and out it in his mouth. After a few moments of smoking, he blew out some smoke and spoke with a smooth, cultivated voice. "I have had contact with an individual that has offered to take care of this issue for us. He has assured me that it will look quite natural, the Slayer-issue will be permanently solved."

"Who is this person that you spoke with?" The second man asked suspiciously. "And how much would it cost us, after all, we have our own wet work teams."

"He called himself 'Smith' and he wished for copies of the texts we have regarding the nature of magic, nothing really harmless and expensive."

"I don't see why we would need to bring in a mercenary; we could take care of it ourselves, despite the possible consequences." Man number three implored.

"Because I have already sent three teams, and I lost contact with all three shortly after arriving to Sunnydale." The fourth man stated.

"What! You went over our heads?" The first speaker shouted. "That is a serious breach of protocol."

"I'm quite aware of that, but the situation needed to be dealt with quickly. It doesn't really matter in the long run, as long as we regain control of the Slayer, things will go back to the way it should be. This just further proves that we need to use this mercenary."

The second speaker stated simply "So be it, the Slayer is needed in other places as soon as possible. I vote we go through with the deal."

The first and third speakers nodded and the first said "You are right, the issue must be solved as soon as possible, give him the 'go ahead', we will pay him."

"Excellent, Smith said that the matter will be resolved within a few weeks."

The meeting continued as several issues was brought up and dealt with. After the meeting was over the fourth man went outside and dialed a number on his mobile phone.

"Yes?" a young voice asked in the phone.

"The deal is approved, payment on confirmation of new Slayer."

"Splendid, it will soon be done."

With that, the man on the other side disengaged the call. And back in Sunnydale a man smiled as he stretched back in his chair, all was proceeding as planned.

* * *

><p>Alexander sat in the middle of a dark room, meditating. While a Jedi would shed himself of his emotions and reach tranquility, the Sith did the opposite. Gathering all his rage at the betrayals against him, all the fear of the betrayals to come, all that he had suffered in his existence and lastly all his hatred, his hatred for being weakened, for doubting himself and the Dark side and then all the hatred he possessed against his enemies for daring to oppose him.<p>

With all of his emotions gathered, all that was him, he intoned the code of the Sith out loud into the empty room.

_"Peace is a lie, there is only passion._

_Through passion, I gain strength._

_Through strength, I gain power._

_Through power, I gain victory._

_Through victory, my chains are broken._

_The Force shall free me."_

As the words were intoned he increased his control, his focus becoming stronger as the infinite power of the Dark side of the Force bent to his will. The gathered energy darkened the room further and further, to skilled Force-users it would have stood out as a nova. Yet the very nature of it made it go unnoticed by the higher beings in the dimension.

Scattered images flew across his mind, each telling him of different outcomes and events. His mind struggling to understand it all, he repeated the code again and again, each time making them more comprehendible.

He saw Faith battling an abomination of man and demon, himself walking across a cemetery, his foes torn apart by his mere glance. He saw himself fighting a red clad woman, both of them struggling to kill the other, she with her superior body and strength and he with his Force-abilities, the fight even and terrible. It was clear that no matter the victor, both would die by either fatigue or by the surrounding minions.

He looked further and further, searching for that last bit that would secure his victory and subsequent ascension to emperor. His body started to visibly shake, sweat pouring as he pushed; fighting against the barriers the Powers that Be had built in his way.

At the last moment he broke through and finally saw the means for his end, the 'Seed of Wonder', the heart of all magic on Earth and the whole dimension. By breaking it, he could banish all of the supernatural beings and items, severing all ties to other dimensions; it would make the world safe from all such threats forever and ever.

And make it defenseless against his powers.

As he stood from his previous position, he started to laugh. His laughter rose in volume and strength, his powers 'humming' in anticipation. 'The old powers of this dimension lack the ability to deal with the power of the Force' he thought in glee.

As his laughter eventually ended, he focused once more on the visions he had received. The fight between his Hand and the abomination didn't seem have a clear winner, but his intervention could correct that. The vision of him tearing apart his enemies symbolized his own superiority, showing him that there existed no threats to him among the majority of the supernatural beings. No, what was slightly worrying was his fight against the woman in red; she seemed to be an actual threat to him. He needed to step up his own training of his body, to better counter that enemy.

'Perhaps' he mused, 'it is time to use some knowledge from my old master, Darth Plagueis.' A lightsaber might be useful, but would warn to many of the nature of his powers and knowledge. It would be better to be subtle, to make the unsure of what exactly he was. His old master had been an avid seeker of knowledge and had told him of the swords used by the Sith of old. These swords not only made them better in battle, they also augmented his Force powers and abilities considerably.

As he walked out of the room to acquire the needed materials, he mused on how his blood was singing in anticipation. It had been a long time ago since he had had a proper fight, where he destroyed something powerful. It was natural, the Sith craved power and to take it from those with it. The 'Rule of Two' symbolized this best, one to embody power, the other to crave it.

* * *

><p>Drusilla sat sunbathing outside of Sunnydale. It was something she enjoyed greatly and was only made possible by the gift of her master, the gem of Amara. Thanks to its protection, she could now play in the sun as long as she wants.<p>

Three young men lay next to her, two unmoving and dead and one drawing his last breaths. The three men, who in another timeline would eventually try to take over the town, had minutes before been individually invited to 'play' with the seductive vampire.

As Jonathan 'Jono' Levinson stared into the sky, Drusilla moved next to him and looked into his eyes. After simply staring for a few moments, she opened her mouth and spoke.

"Miss Edith told me what you were going to do, you naughty boy. Nasty spell making you the king of the world, but the world doesn't belong to you; it belongs to my Emperor, it does."

"But I-"Jonathan rasped.

"Shh, be quiet, mommy is here now" Drusilla cooed at him and started to stroke his hair with her bloody fingers. She had a fond smile on her face as he let out his final breath.

She knew her emperor would be happy and proud with her for this. He held a strong dislike against reality-altering; he didn't want any interruptions to his plans.

She roused to her feet and walked away from the bodies, Miss Edith held tightly in her arms.

* * *

><p>As he reheated his sword again using Force lightning and the forge, he felt a strong satisfaction. Already he could feel the immense powers of the dark side gathered into the blade, its signature in the Force growing stronger and stronger.<p>

He wouldn't name it; it wasn't sentient, despite the strong feelings of bloodlust it let out. As it neared completion, he could feel the Force reassuring him of his victory. He laughed out loud, long and gleefully.

As he finally completed his sword, he felt his own connection to the Force growing even stronger than before.

He focused the Force through his sword and immediately it released a stronger than usual Force lightning into the room. He continued to laugh even harder as his powers spread through the room, crushing objects into small spheres, short-circuiting all electronic devices and hurled everything around himself into a small tornado.

Calming down and letting everything fall down to the floor, he only smiled an enigmatic smile.

* * *

><p>Faith panted as she desperately tried to stem the flow of blood from her body, both of her legs broken and severe wounds littering her body. The hallway was filled with debris and other marks from her battle with the abomination.<p>

The abomination, Adam, was sitting against a wall a few meters from her, trying to regenerate the wounds dealt to him by the Slayer. The largest wound and biggest evidence of how hard the fight had been was the sword pinning him to the wall through his chest.

It wouldn't truly matter in the end. He would eventually be restored and she would be killed. As she contemplated her death the sound of footsteps reached her and out of the shadows her master came. His face calm and warm, eyes twinkling jovially, while his robes was dirtied with blood of all kind of colours.

"Yo, what took you so long boss man?" Faith called out to him.

"Oh, I just had to take care of an assassination plot against me. It would seem that the esteemed Wolfram & Hart has taken offense against my actions and existence." He answered with a happy tone that spoke nothing of how he had slaughtered an army of demons mixed with a few warlocks.

"But don't worry my dear, all is proceeding as I have foreseen. Or mostly anyway, I did tell you to do what must be done, to show no mercy. Yet you allowed the scientist and soldiers leave this base, you even helped them."

"But, I was just-"As Faith tried to defend her actions, Alexander walked towards Adam and unsheathed his sword. Gathering the Force into the blade, he stabbed it straight into the abomination and unleashed his powers. Adam shook and tried desperately to escape the damage and pain he was feeling. But it was futile.

As he ended Adam's existence, Alexander turned around, smile still in place but his eyes were cold and shining with sulfur yellow.

"I'm afraid,"He said with barely a hint of glee," that your employment has come to an end."

"What! What are you talking about?" Faith shouted out, a feeling of unease spreading.

"You served as my Hand well, but you have outlived your usefulness and will no longer serve my ends alive. Those who do not serve my ends, no matter how powerful they are, will be eliminated."

"But I thought you cared for me, you helped me and actually did things for me!" Faith cried out, her mind unwilling to accept what it was hearing. 'It must be a mistake, I'm useful to him' she thought with quite a bit of hysteria.

"Young fool. Only now, at the end, do you understand. Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark side and will no longer be necessary to my plans. But thank you for your loyal servitude. I'm afraid I can't offer you a well funded retirement." With that last gleeful statement, he took one step forward and separated the head from the body in one graceful swing.

It was good that his unstable Hand was gone; he had even gotten paid for it by the Watchers Council. She had let human survivors escape, if he hadn't been near then word of her and more importantly information about him could get out. That could have caused serious interruptions to his plans.

As Faith's body slumped to the floor, he went back to a box he had planted deeper into the base. What better way than to clean up using the nuclear materials the base had commissioned itself?

* * *

><p>Many months later, he once again thanked his powerful connection to the Force. Without it he might not have noticed the true nature of the 'human' called Dawn. The fact that she had a large crush on him amused him endlessly. Thanks to the bugs he had planted on the rest of the Scooby-gang, he had found out more about the Key and more importantly this 'Beast'.<p>

He strongly suspected that this 'Glorificus' was the being he was supposed to fight. Unfortunately, whatever higher powers that existed, they had started to pay an even bigger attention to Sunnydale and him, which made it harder to view the future unnoticed.

When his surveillance detected a fight between Buffy and something powerful that was beating her, he knew that the moment of truth had come. The last true threat to his future had arrived.

With that he drew his sword and walked towards the location of his opponent. One way or another, this would end tonight.


End file.
